


Everyday

by ackermom



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22453576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ackermom/pseuds/ackermom
Summary: Bitty curls up, tucking his head under Jack's chin. It'll only be for an hour or so, but he thinks he can manage to sleep like this, safe and warm and comforted, despite anything else that will happen today or tomorrow.Or: 5 times Jack and Bitty woke up next to each other, and one time they didn't sleep at all.
Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann
Comments: 18
Kudos: 164
Collections: Bitty's Valentines Collection





	Everyday

**Author's Note:**

> happy valentines day to [doggernaut](https://doggernaut.tumblr.com/)/[rabbitrunnah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RabbitRunnah/pseuds/RabbitRunnah)! hope you enjoy!

**i**

Bitty wakes to the hum of the bus. He cracks his eyes slowly, and at first, he's met with just darkness, the black streets of New England melting into each other as the bus speeds down the highway. He blinks and stretches. He pushes his arms over his head, squeezing his eyes shut, and lets out a big yawn, then shifts upright in his seat and rubs the sore spot where his forehead was pressed up against the window. It's late, and the passenger lights have been dimmed. The bus slumbers in a faint blue glow.

He glances around, stifling another yawn. The seat next to him is empty. He shuffles into it and sees that Lardo's gone back to her seat in the front. She's asleep, legs curled up in front of her, one arm hanging into the aisle. It looks like everyone else is asleep as well, exhausted from the game, the loss, or both.

He looks across the aisle. Sitting with his back to the window, Jack's face is lit up by his phone screen. At first, Bitty can't tell if he's awake or not. He's motionless, his gaze turned down, and his head seems to bob with the running hum of the bus down the highway. Then after a moment, his eyes turn up and meet Bitty's from across the aisle. He blinks, maybe waking up, before he retracts his legs from the seat next to him and lets Bitty come over.

"I thought you were going to finish your homework on the ride back," Bitty says as he settles into the seat.

Jack shuffles around until he's front-facing, and he pulls one earbud out, smiling gently at Bitty. "You're not one to talk about procrastination."

"Oh, hush," Bitty says. He's nearly whispering, but his voice seems to echo in the quiet. "What are you listening to?"

"History podcast," Jack says.

Bitty wrinkles his nose. "So even when you're not studying, you're still studying."

"Haha," Jack says. He holds out an earbud. "Want to listen. I just started an episode about Joan D'Arc."

Bitty takes it, smirking. "Of course you did."

"Hold on, let me restart it."

The bus hums on, carrying into the night, and Bitty slips down into the seat, his shoulder brushing against Jack's as he closes his eyes and dozes off again. 

**ii**

He really tries not to take a nap. It's a bad habit he has to break if he ever wants to beat himself at his own procrastination game. But Jack's asleep on the couch within minutes of coming home from practice, and the cookies are cooling on the countertop. There's bags to be packed, dinner to be cooked, things to be done. Something about this lazy August day draws Bitty onto the couch instead, into Jack's arms and down into a deep sleep. 

He blinks into Jack's chest when he wakes up. "Honey?"

Jack's arm are loosely laid over him, and his answer vibrates in his chest. "Mmhmm?"

"What time is it?"

Clearly, it's a great effort for Jack to untangle himself from Bitty and check his phone, because it takes several minutes and involves the both of them stretching and yawning in the unlit apartment as the sun sets over the neighborhoods of Providence. The curtains aren't drawn, and Bitty dawdles on the couch, staring into the orange summer sky as Jack stumbles around the kitchen, ordering take-out over the phone.

He rolls over, flat onto his back, and he throws an arm over his forehead, letting the over fall to the floor and scrape against the rug. He tries not to be sad for the hours they just lost. Their last night together before Bitty has to be back at Samwell tomorrow, and his elaborate farewell dinner plans have been dashed by a nap on the couch. 

"Jack," Bitty says when Jack returns from the kitchen, covering a yawn his hand. He curls up on the couch, tugging a fuzzy blanket over himself, and peers up at Jack with sleep in his eyes. "I'm going to miss this."

Jack stops for a second before he continues to the couch. He drops down next to Bitty, stretching his legs out under the coffee table. Then he leans over and kisses Bitty's forehead. "I will too, Bits."

"You're a better cuddler than Señor Bun," Bitty murmurs as Jack strokes his hair. He furrows his brow when Jack smirks. "Don't tell him I said that."

"Never." 

**iii**

"Morning, Bits," Jack murmurs sleepily when Bitty pushes a hand through his hair.

He smiles down at Jack, his back against the wall. There's something special and sad about this moment and the unknowns of the future. "Hi, honey."

He doesn't remember falling asleep again, not after he clutched a soaking wet Jack and dragged him upstairs to cry in the darkness of his bedroom. But he must've slept a little, even if his night was mostly spent staring at the ceiling and trying to catch his own thoughts. He woke ten minutes before his usual alarm, blinking at the pink silhouette of his window, the sun rising somewhere over the horizon. Jack slept heavily in his arms, his suit draped across the back of Bitty's desk. Bitty, though tired, though listless, though scared, couldn't bear to stir him.

Jack's eyes flutter before he glances up at Bitty, pursing his lips to hold back a yawn. "Mm. Did you sleep at all?"

Of course he knows, Bitty thinks. _This boy_.

"Not much," he murmurs. He'd turned his alarm off before it rang and tried to go back to sleep, but it just wouldn't come to him. "Do you want any coffee or something?"

"Bittle," Jack says, reaching up with his arm. He winds it around Bitty's waist and pulls on him, asking him to lie down again, to snuggle back into the warmth and forget about everything for a little while longer. "Come back to sleep."

It's morning, but early. He'll fidget if he just sits here, waiting for the day to begin, for the acceptable hour to text their friends and request a brunch meeting. Quietly, Bitty slips back under the covers and lies down to face Jack, their noses just an inch apart. He hums when Jack draws a thumb across his cheek, smiling at him

"I'll be okay," Jack whispers. His whisper echoes in the small bedroom. "Let's just sleep in a little." 

Bitty curls up, tucking his head under Jack's chin. It'll only be for an hour or so, but he thinks he can manage to sleep like this, safe and warm and comforted, despite anything else that will happen today or tomorrow. 

**iv**

The sun is barely up before Bitty can feel someone watching him. He cracks one eye open. As expected, Jack is sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at him. His face remains blank until he sees Bitty waking, and then he grins, leaning back on his palm. Bitty stretches under the covers, pointing his toes straight as he yawns into his hand. He straightens out, pulls the blanket up to his shoulders, and squints up at Jack.

"Good morning, sir," he mutters. "Can I help you?"

He's on his way out for a run, his shoes in one hand. He says, "I'm thinking about steps."

Bitty furrows his brow. "Okay. Stop bothering me and go get some."

"Next steps," Jack clarifies. "Far away steps."

Bitty glares at him. "They're called far away steps for a reason. I have to graduate first! Or at least wake up at a normal hour."

Jack makes a _mmhmm_ noise, then adds, "I know. I just wanted to let _you_ know, I'm thinking about those steps."

With a huff, Bitty pulls the covers up to his chin. He purses his lips, trying not to smile. "I don't know why you're acting like you're cute. Get out of here."

"I'll be thinking about them each _step_ of the way."

Bitty pulls the covers over his face. "Jack. Oh my god, that was bad."

He hears a laugh, feels the mattress dip as Jack moves towards him, and he squawks a little when Jack presses a kiss to his ruffled bedhead, still laughing as he touches Bitty. It reverberates through him, and Bitty's heart does a few little spins.

"Go back to sleep," Jack murmurs when he pulls away. Bitty peeks out from under the covers. He blinks softly into the dawn as Jack slips into his shoes and stands, still smiling down at him. "I'll be back when you wake up."

**v**

Morning comes too soon. As he wakes, Bitty can still taste the red wine on his lips from the rehearsal dinner. He tries to ignore it, but the room grows light too fast, the world around them coming to life as they are still finding their ways back from the deepest parts of dreams. Something in him begs to go back to sleep, but this day has been far too long in the making. When Bitty opens his eyes, he can't believe it's finally here.

From the other side of the bed, Jack is gazing back at him. 

"Morning," he says softly, his head pressed deeply into the pillow. He glows in the sunlight that's streaming into the hotel room, casting warm squares of light across his bare skin. He's like a dream, and so will waking up with him be from this day forward.

"G'morning," Bitty mutters. He pushes hand back through his mussed hair and shuffles against his pillow so he can see Jack better. He can't help but smile a little. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Jack smiles back.

"Bits," he murmurs, his eyes softening, "I've been ready to marry you since the first time we kissed."

"Stop it," Bitty exclaims. He grins, flushing. "You can't chirp me like that on our wedding day."

"I'm not chirping you," Jack says. He stretches an arm out, his fingers brushing across Bitty's wrist where he's holding onto the covers; Bitty lets go, and Jack twines their fingers together. He smirks. "Unless you want me to."

Bitty laughs. "Only for the rest of my life." 

**+**

At some point, Jack gets up. 

Bitty's head jerks up when he feels the mattress dip. He blinks into the low light, and it's just his husband, stepping gingerly onto the floor and moving around the front of the bed with his hands covering a yawn. He sees Bitty watching him from the corner of his eye, and he mouths _coffee_ before tiptoeing in the hallway.

"It's almost five," Jack murmurs when he returns. The bedroom is still and quiet, the off-white walls nearly purple in the darkness. He hands one mug to Bitty; he's taken the liberty of adding a sweet creamer, which Bitty gladly accepts. "That's a good two hours."

Bitty holds the steaming mug close to his lips. "It's a miracle, is what it is."

The bassinet lies quietly at the foot of the bed. Jack moves around it carefully, his socks soft on the floor, and when he slips back into the bed next to Bitty, they both let out a deep breath, coffee mugs clutched in their hands.

"Well," Bitty murmurs as Jack sips his coffee. "This is it, I guess. This is the rest of our lives."

He feels Jack smile at him. "What? Loving and caring for our family?"

"Not sleeping is what I meant," Bitty says. He glances sideways at Jack, smirking. "But yeah, I guess that counts too."

The baby stirs. He holds his breath, but the for the first time all night, she remains quiet; instead, she peers up at them with her hand in her mouth, blinking slowly.

"Hmm," he hears Jack murmur. "Well, we've had enough sleep."


End file.
